Container carrier



United States Patent O poratinn 013 Ohio Filed Jan. 27, 1965, Sei. N0. 428,486

2 Claims. (C1. 294-872) This invention relates to carrier packs of containers. In the handling and retailing of beverages and other products contained in bottles, cans and sirnilar srnall cont-ainers, many advantages are gained by packag1ng the containers in groups er clusters to form carrier packs of containers designed t 'be handled and sold as individual units.

Much elfort has been devoted to the packaging of cantainers t0 forrn container carrier packs. This has produced a. wide variety 0f 1neans and methods for forming carrier packs of containers. Even though these have ernbodied the best efforts 0f those concerned with the roblem, the prior art in this field is marked by lim1tations.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved carrier pack of containers which affords worthwhile advantages to both the manufacture and user of packs f0rrned in accordance With this invention.

Another object of this invention is to package coutainers together in a new and improved manner to form an improved carrier pack which holds a cluster of con tainers together firmly yet yieldably and provides for convenient carrying 0f the containers.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved carrier pack which is particularly advantageous in the packaging of bottles.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved carrier pack having an integral handle.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved carrier pack With integral handle, which handle is positioned in such fashion to provide for easy p1ckup and transportation of the carrier pack.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in comjunction with the drawing in which FIGURE 1 is a top plan view 0f the carrier of this invention and FIGURE 2 is a prospective view of a carrier pack of bottles embodying this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral denotes a carrier pack of containers comprising a cluster of six bottles 11 arr-anged in two juxtaposed rows of three bottles each.

The bottles 11 in the carrier pack 10 are supported together in a firrnly held and continuous side engagement with each other by means 0f plastic packaging structure 0f an extremely and economical character, which is initially formed in an integral flat sheet 12 shown in top plan osition in FIGURE l. The flat sheet 12 has a generally rectangular overall shape and is formed of an elastic stretchable plastic material such as, for example, polyethylene.

The hat plastic sheet 12 is shaped by cutting to define the carrier having a generally rectangular overall shape. This carrier defines six constrictive openings 14 arranged in two parallel rows of three openings each. The

openings 14 have a diameter somewhat less than that of the breast 16 of the bottles 11 which receive the breasts of the respective bottles to hold the cluster of bottles 11 together to provide support for the individual bottles.

Three of the side edges 0f the carrier 12 have a scalloped-shape which defines deep recesses 18 extending inwardly between the portions of the carrier which bound the respective constrictive openings 14. The other edge of the carrier 12 is provided with an integral handle 20, which handle is formed in the same manner as the carrier 12.

The handle 20 is substantially E-shaped in configuration With the legs 22 of the handle connected to that portion of the plastic defining the outer periphery of two constrictive openings 14. The base of the Eslhaped handle 20 extends substantially to the outer edges of the carrier 12 and is connected thereto by the upper and lower legs 22 which extend from the ends of the b21SB 24 to the edge of the carrier 12 surrounding two adjacent constrictive openings 14.

The E-shaped handle 20, by virtue of legs 22 and base 24, defines therebetween two hand-grip or finger apertures 28 as shown in top plan view in FIGURE 1. Suflicient space is provided in apertures 28 to permit carrying the carrier pack 10 readily. The handle 21) design is such that the carrier pack 10 may be picked up =by the purchaser from a stack of several carrier packs.

T he handle 20 instead of being forrned integrally with one end of the carrier 12 may be formed on either side thereof by attaching legs 22 to those portions designated 30 and 32 in FIGURE 1 of the carrier 12. Portions 30 and 32 form two-corner constrictive openings 14. The rnlddle leg 22 of the handle W0uld then be integral With that portion of the carrier 12 defining the outer periphery of constrictive opening 14 between the two openings 14 defined at their outer periphery by portions 30 and 32.

T0 assernble the carrier pack 10, the initially interconnected plastic packaging carriers 12 are moved into everlying relation to containers to be assembled together in packs. The carrier 12 may be assembled to a plurality of containers 11 by rnoving it downwardly with reference to a cluster of bottles 11 to be assembled together to cause first the necks 34 of the bottles to enter and to project upwardly through the constrictive apertures 14. Continued downward movernent of the carrier 12 will cause the constrictive openings 14 to enlarge sufiiciently to pass over the shoulders 36 and the breast 16 of the comtainers and whereupon the openings snugly embrace the bottles 10 to provide support for the saine.

If desired, a paper or plastic wrapper may be placed around the periphery of the bottles 11 below the carrier 12 to provide a billboard efiect and insure that the comtainer heel portions are held securely together.

It Will be appreciated that various modifications, such as using the carrier for two or more containers, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is to be h'rnited only by the following clairns.

We claim:

1. A package comprising a plurality of bottles and a carrier formed 0f a Single thickness sheet of stretchable plastie material engaging said bottles, each of said bottles including a generally cylindrieal wall portion terminating at its upper end in an enlarged annular shoulder, said bottles being arranged in juxtaposed rows, said sheet having portions thereof defining a plurality of constrictive apertures disposed in juxtaposed rows, each of said apartures receiving a Single bottle, each of said sheet portions which define said constrictive apertures snugly engaging said cylindrical Wall portion adjacent said enlarged annular shoulder, and handle means formed integrally With said sheet comprising an E-shaped men1ber in the same plane as said sheet having a base and at least three legs joining said base 10 said sheet and cooperating therewith to define a pair of openings to perrnit the placing of fingers therein.

2. The carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein said openings are smaller than said constrictive apertures.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2604354 7/1952 Gray 224-54 2611521 9/1952 Hackman et al. 3044,230 7/1962 Fisher 22445 3,086651 4/ 1963 Poupitch.

12 and 13, copy available in 294-872 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

J. E. OLDS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PACKAGE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BOTTLES AND A CARRIER FORMED OF A SINGLE THICKNESS SHEET OF STRETCHABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL ENGAGING SAID BOTTLES, EACH OF SAID BOTTLES INCLUDING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTION TERMINATING AT ITS UPPER END IN AN ENLARGED ANNULAR SHOULDER, SAID BOTTLES BEING ARRANGED IN JUXTAPOSED ROWS, SAID SHEET HAVING PORTIONS THEREOF DEFINING A PLURALITY OF CONSTRICTIVE APERTURES DISPOSED IN JUXTAPOSED ROWS, EACH OF SAID APERTURES RECEIVING A SINGLE BOTTLE, EACH OF SAID SHEET PORTIONS WHICH DEFINE SAID CONSTRICTIVE APERTURES SNUGLY ENGAGING SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL PORTION ADJACENT SAID ENLARGED ANNULAR SHOULDER, AND HANDLE MEANS FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID SHEET COMPRISING AN E-SHAPED MEMBER IN THE SAME PLANE AS SAID SHEET HAVING A BASE AND AT LEAST THREE LEGS JOINING SAID BASE TO SAID SHEET AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO DEFINE A PAIR OF OPENINGS TO PERMIT THE PLACING OF FINGERS THEREIN. 